There are few subjects of less interest (or no interest) -- to us than sewers -- unless we don't have them.
We don't like to think about sewers. That underground system of pipes is not a priority for the vast majority of us -- until they become clogged or otherwise cause us some trouble.
But obviously, sewers are very important to our civilization.
Chattanooga reportedly soon will enter into an agreement with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to do whatever is necessary to bring our sewers up to current standards.
We are anxious because of the experiences Metro Nashville had with a similar situation. The state's capitol had to enter into a consent decree with regulators that may cost that city a billion dollars to repair its old system.
We certainly hope Chattanooga doesn't need anything that drastic to maintain the sanitary standards we all want for our community.
Nashville's experience makes us cautious. Chattanooga City Attorney Mike McMahan won't even guess what costs may be facing Chattanooga -- if any.
We'll just hold our breath, figuratively and literally.